Lined necktie



G. LIMPEROS April 23, 1968 LINED NECKTIE Filed Nov.

FIG. 4

INVENTOR GEORGE LI MPEROS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,378,854 LINED NECKTIE George Liniperos, Wilmington, Del., assignor to E, I. du Pont de Nemours and (Iompany, "Wihuington, DeL, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 1, 1966, Set. No. 591,310 2 Claims. (Cl. 2-146) This invention relates in general to neckties and more particularly to neckties of the four-in-hand type that have a synthetic-fiber nonwoven fabric as the inner lining.

In the past the most acceptable four-in-hand neckties usually have had both the outer envelope and the inner lining made from woven fabrics. These two components when properly selected or designed combine to give the necktie the important characteristics of stretch, softness, ability to hang fiat, resistance to wrinkling, and sufiicient body to form a good knot. Neckties constructed of light-Weight or thin-envelope fabrics require bulkier inner linings than do neckties constructed of the heavier weight envelopes to achieve the important physical characteristics mentioned above.

The woven-fabric forming the outer envelopes and the inner linings of the neckties are usually cut on a bias (obliquely to the texture) to provide the desired stretch and to prevent edge-curling. The edges of the envelope fabric are usually hemmed so that raveling does not present a problem with this outer component of the tie but the usual practice of not hemming the inner lining results in linings that have a strong tendency to ravel.

Woven fabrics of polyester or acrylic fibers are present ly used for inner linings of washable neckties. Because of their high cost these woven-fabric inner linings of synthetic fibers are generally used only with envelope fabrics of polyester fibers that are washable. Neckties with outer envelopes of silk, acetate, rayon and other fabrics are usually inner lined with nonwashable woven fabrics of rayon and wool blends. Ties lined with these rayon/wool fabrics generally exhibit a more desirable fullness-in-hand than do the ties lined with fabrics of woven synthetic fibers.

An object of this invention is to provide a necktie having a nonraveling, washable inner-lining fabric and meeting all of the desired characteristics of softness, stretchability, hang-flat, wrinkle-resistance, and fullnessin-hand, with the additional advantages of low cost. This object is obtained by using for the inner lining syntheticfiber nonwoven fabrics having a particular combination of characteristics.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 shows the rear view of a necktie of this invention,

FIGURE 2 is a rear view of the outer envelope of the necktie that is shown in a partially opened position,

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the synthetic-fiber non woven inner lining,

FIGURE 4 is a transverse cross-section view of the necktie taken along section BB of FIGURE 1.

With reference to the drawings, the invention is represented as a four-in-hand type of necktie as indicated by FIGURE 1. As illustrated, the necktie consists of an outer woven-fabric envelope 1, constructed from two relatively long, narrow triangular pieces indicated by reference numerals 2 and 3 that are sewn together as at 4 and a nonwoven synthetic fabric as the inner liner 5.

The typical partial hemrning of the ends of the outer envelope to prevent raveling and to give a finished appearance are indicated as 6 and typical folds are shown as 7.

3,378,854 Patented] Apr. 23, 1968 The transverse cross-section along; BB of FIGURE 1 as shown in FIGURE 4 illustrates the position of the inner lining 5 within the envelope 1. The folds in the outer envelope forming the edge of the tie are indicated by 7 while 8 shows the stitching that secures the innerlining 5 to the envelope 1 and binds the tie together as a unit.

In some neckties the inner lining may extend only partly along the length of the necktie as indicated by the dotted line A-A in FIGURES 1 and 3.

All sewing and manufacturing steps in the manufacture of such neckties are well known in the trade, except that conventional woven inner linings must be cut on a bias Whereas the nonwoven inner lining of this invention may be cut without regard to direction because there is no predominant orientation of the fibers; in any direction as with woven fabrics.

In accordance with the present invention, ties having all of the desirable characteristics mentioned above are obtained by using tie inner linings of synthetic-fiber nonwoven fabrics characterized by a high level of stretch, as indicated by a tensile modulus of less than 900 pounds per square inch (63.2 kg./cm. a thickness of about 0.025 to 0.100 inch (0.63-2.54 mm); a high bulk in the range of 0.011 to 0.018 inch//oz./yd. or expressed a1- ternatively, a relatively low density in the range of about 0.07 to 0.13 gram/cm. and a high level of softness as exhibited by a bending length of 3.7 cm. or less. The tensile modulus is measured by the method given in ASTM, 1961 edition, Part IX, D 638, page 453. The thickness is measured with a BS1 gauge at a pressure of 0.07 pound per square inch (4.9 gram/cm?) according to the method of ASTM, 1965 edition, Part 24, D-l777-64, page 503. The bending length is measured according to the cantilever test of ASTM, 1965 edition, Part 24, D- l388-64, page 417. The density is the unit weight of the fabric expressed in grams per cm. divided by the BSI thickness of the fabric in centimeters.

The nonwoven fabrics used in the inner linings of the neckties of this invention have the fibers arranged in a random fashion. There is no predominant orientation of the fibers in any direction and fabric properties are therefore essentially the same in all directions. Because of this substantially nondirectional structure, the inner lining can be cut in any direction, thus permitting more complete utilization of the nonwoven fabric than can be obtained from woven liners that must be cut on the bias.

Nonwoven fabrics composed of staple fibers or continuous filaments can be used in this invention if the fabric has the aforementioned combination of properties. The filaments, whether in staple form or continuous filament form, are secured together in the nonwoven structure by the action of properly selected binder filaments. Continuous filament nonwoven fabrics are preferred, however, because inner liner fabrics of this type can be prepared with relatively low binder content. Low concentration of binder filaments is important to obtaining the level of stretch and softness required as reflected by the limitations in the tensile modulus, bending length, and density.

Especially suitable for use in this invention are the continuous filament nonwoven fabrics that are produced by the electrostatic laydown process described in British Patent 932,482. Nonwoven fabrics produced by this method from continuous filaments exhibit a nonpatterned structure caused by the substantial lack of parallelism between the filaments and in addition the filaments are well separated. The desired combination of properties as previously defined for suitable necktie inner linings can be achieved in several ways with fabrics of the type produced by the electrostatic laydown process. For example, a nonwoven web comprising elongatable continuous filaments of polyethylene terephthalate and between and by weight, of binder filaments of 80/20 polyethylene terephthalate/isophthalate can be bonded, with simultaneous elongation of the polyethylene terephthalate filaments, by heating between screens at about 205 C. under a low pressure of about 0.5 pound per square inch (35 gram/cnt In this manner, soft, bulky, stretchable nonwoven fabrics can be obtained with about 10% by weight of binder filaments at fabric weights preferably in the range of 2 to 3 oz./yd. (68 to 102 gram/m?) and more prefera'bly in the range of 2.5 to 2.75 oz./yd. (85 to 93 gram/m?) and with about 5% by weight of binder filaments at fabric weights of 3 to 4 oz./yd. (102 to 136 gram/m Alternatively, the nonwoven web can be bonded between screens at higher pressure, e.g., at about 1 pound per square inch (70 gram/cmP), and then subsequently napped, thereby increasing the thickness, bulkiness, stretch, and softness of the bonded material. Acceptable tie inner linings can be prepared with the napped material from nonwoven fabrics containing 5 to 10% by weight of binder filaments at a fabric weight of 3 to 4 oz./yd. (102 to 136 gram/m Immediately after the bonding operation, the fabric can be heat treated for about one hour at 160 C. to impart to the fabric essentially complete stickproofness during ironing of the necktie during both the manufacture and use of the tie.

Synthetic fibers other than the polyesters can be used in the nonwoven inner linings of the invention; for example, the polyamides such as nylon 66, the polyhydrocarbons, such as isotactic polypropylene; and the acrylics, such as polyacrylonitrile are suitable. Nonwoven fabrics made from fibers of these polymers and processed in accordance with this invention are nonraveling, washable, rapid-drying, and resistant to shrinkage, and because of these properties, thenonwoven inner linings can be used in washable as well as nonwashable neckties.

Medium (outer shell having a unit weight of 3.5 to 4 oz./yd. and heavy-weight (outer shell of 5.0 to 5.5 oz./yd. neckties can be satisfactorily lined with nonwoven inner linings having a fabric weight of about 2.5 to 3 oz./yd. (85 to 102 gram/m Lightweight (outer shell 2.25 to 3 oz./yd. neckties require thicker and heavier inner linings having a fabric weight of at least h Specific spinning conditions in this example are as follows:

Polyethylene Polyethylene terephthalate terephthalate/ 5 (homopolymer) isophthalate (eopolymer) No. of spinneret holes 17 17 N o of filaments:

Spun 17 17 Used 17 4 Spinneret temperature, C 271 269 10 Total polymer throughout,

gram/min 14. 3 6. 8

The filaments in the fabric prepared by the above pro- 5 cedure have the following properties:

Polyethylene Polyethylene terephthalate terephthalate/ filaments isophthalate filaments 20 Denier per filament 3. 0 2

Potential spontaneous elongation 17.0

Percent of copolymer binder by weight 10%.

Unit Weight 2.75 oz./yd. (93 gram/m2). Bending length 3.7 cm. BSI thickness 0.030 inch (0.076 cm). Tensile modulus 550 psi. (38.6 kg./cm. Density 0.12 gram/ch13.

The acceptability of neckties inner lined with this nonwoven bonded fabric is confirmed by wear tests of the neckties. Ties having an outer-envelope made from woven fabrics of a polyester, acetate/rayon, and silk are inner lined either with the nonwoven fabric of this example or with a commercially available, woven fabric as follows:

CONTROL TIES Woven-Fabric Outer Shell Weight Woven-Fabric Material Inner Lining (oz./yd.

about 4 oz./yd. (136 gram/m Neckties so produced have all of the important characteristics previously described and, in addition, exhibit outstanding durability and retain their excellent appearance after extended use.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become evident from the detailed examples.

The apparatus used to produce the nonwoven fabric of all examples is the same as the spinning and electrostatic laydown device described in Example I of Luxembourg Patent 48,579 that issued July 12, 1965, except for the number of spinneret holes.

Example I The preparation of a polyester-fiber nonwoven fabric from continuous filaments that is useful for the inner linings of neckties and an evaluation of neckties lined with this product are given in this example.

Each wearer tests one tie of each type and the neckties are worn on alternate days for a total of 15 days each. After every five days of wear the ties are dry cleaned and pressed. Ties with polyester outer envelopes and inner linings are also washed after 10 days of wear.

At the end of the wear test period no permanent distortion or other adverse effects are found in the ties containing inner linings of the nonwoven synthetic-fiber fabrics of this example. In the cases of the medium and heavyweight ties, no significant differences in preference are found between the groups of ties with woven versus the nonwoven inner linings. However, in the case of the lightweight silk ties, the ones with the conventional woven linings are preferred over those with the nonwoven fabric linings. These results demonstrate the adequacy of the nonwoven fabrics of this example for mediumand heavyweight ties and indicate that bulkier nonwoven linings are needed for light-weight silk ties. Light-Weight ties containing an inner lining of a double thickness of the nonwoven fabric of this example have acceptable fullness of hand.

Example II This example illustrates the effect of unit weight and binder filament content on the stiffness and softness (bending length), thickness, stretch (tensile modulus) and bulk of the synthetic-fiber nonwoven fabric inner linings produced according to the process of Example I. This example also describes the results of wear tests of ties modulus of 1190 pounds per square inch (84 kg./cm. or more with a bending length of 4.4 cm. or greater result in too little stretch and too much stiffness in the neckties containing these fabrics as inner linings.

Example III No. of filaments used polyethylene terephthalate 34 34 34 30 30 30 Polyethylene terephthalete/isoplithal ate 2 2 4 4 4 Unit Weight, oz./yd. (gram/111. 3 3. 4 3 3. 5 4 (102) (119) (136) (102) (119) (136) Denier (per filament):

Hoinopolymer 3 3 3 3 3 3 Copolymer 2. 5 2. 5 2. 5 2. 5 2. 5 2. 5 Percent of copolymer hinder filaments:

Percent by weight 5 5 5 10 10 Percdnt spontaneous e1ongation. 17 17 17 16 16 16 containing liners of 3 to 4 oz./yd. (102 to 136 gram/In?) unit weight and 5% by weight of binder filament content. The results tabulated below also demonstrate that when unit Weight of the inner liner is increased above 2.75 oz./yd. (93 gram/m?) in order to increase thickness, the binder content must be reduced to 5% in order to obtain a bending length at or below 3.5 cm. and a tensile modulus at or below 900 p.s.i. (63.2 kg./cm. while maintaining high bulk.

All of the above webs are bonded on a rotary bonder as described in Example I at 210 C., 1 pound per square inch (70 gram./cm. and at 3 yd./min. (2.74 m./min.) speed. The as-bonded products are generally thinner, stiffer and not as stretchable as those described in Example I, primarily because the products of this example are bonded at 0.5 pound per square inch gram/cm?) higher pressure. The bonded materials are heat treated for one hour at 160 C. and then napped on both sides Ratio of Number Average BSI Average Unit Weight Binder Content, of Binder to Bending Length, fllnckness, Tensile Density, oz./yd. (gram/m?) Percent Homopolymer cm. inch (cm) Modulus, gram/mm Fibers 1 p.s.i. (kg/cm!) 1 Contains fibers with 17 to 20% Spontaneous elongation. 2 From Example I.

Light-weight (outer shell 2.253 oz./yd. silk neckties are lined with a single thickness of a 4 oz./yd. (136 gram/m?) nonwoven fabric having 5% by weight by a Gessner Double Action Napper. of the as-bonded and of the napped in the following table.

The key properties products are given KEY PROPERTIES OF NAPPED SYNTHETIC-FIBER. NONWOVEN TIE LININGS Binder Unit Weight. Bending Length,

Content, oz./yd. cm. BS1 Thickness. inch (cm) Tensile Modulus p.s.1. (kg/cm? Density gramJcm.

Percent (gram/in NN N NN N NN N NN N 1 NN=not napped, i.e., in the as bonded condition.

of binder filaments and heavy-weight (outer shell 5-5.5 oz./yd. silk ties are lined with a single thickness of a 3 oz./yd. (102 gram/m?) nonwoven fabric also having 5% by weight of binder filaments. Control neckties of both lightand heavy-weight silk are also made for comparison purposes with commercially-available woven fabric liners of 7.5 oz./yd. (255 gram/m?) consisting of a /50 rayon/wool blend. In addition to this inner lining, the control neckties also contain a 0.75 inch (1.90 cm.) Wide strip of the same lining material sewn to the center-line of the tie. The purpose of this strip is to add body to the necktie, especially in the knot area. The results of a 15-day wear test conducted in the same manner as in the test of Example I indicate no significant difference in preference between the control ties and the ties lined with the synthetic fiber nonwoven fabric of this example.

Inner liners of nonwoven fabrics that contain 10% to 15% by weight of binder filaments having a tensile Z N=napped.

Light-weight (outer shell 2.253 oa/yd?) silk ties are lined with the 4 0z./yd. (136 gram/m?) napped product containing 10% by weight of binder filaments and heavyweight (outer shell 55.5 oz./yd. silk ties, with 3 oz./yd. (102 gram/m?) napped product also containing 10% by weight of binder filaments. All control ties contain an inner lining of a 7.5 oz./yd. (255 gram/m 50/50 rayon/wool woven fabric plus a center strip of the same material. Wear tests are then carried out on the experimental and control ties in the same manner as the test of Example I. At the end of the wear test, no permanent distortion or other adverse effects are observed in the neckties lined with the synthetic-fiber nonwoven fabric. No significant difference in preference is found between the experimental and control neckties in the case of the heavy-weight shell fabric. However, the lightweight control ties with the commercial woven fabric linings are preferred over the light-weight ties lined with the nonwoven fabrics of this example, primarily because of greater fullness (bulk) both in the front of the ties and in the knot. The control ties are fuller because they contain a center strip in addition to the inner lining.

Two panel tests are conducted to demonstrate that a necktie lined with a 4 oz./yd. (136 gram/cm?) napped, synthetic-fiber, nonwoven fabric gives as much fullness to light-weight silk neckties, as does a rayon/wool woven fabric if the same number of layers of lining are used in each. In both tests neckties containing inner liners of the nonwoven fabrics of this example are compared to control ties for fullness-of-hand and knot. A center strip is used in the first pair of neckties but not in the second. The neckties lined with the synthetic-fiber nonwoven fabric inner lining are preferred over the control ties in both comparisons.

The first and fourth nonwoven fabrics listed in the preceding table, having tensile moduli of 875 and 825 p.s.i. respectively, are desirable in the not-napped condition for use as inner linings in neckties for the ready-towear permanent knotted type, even though these particular fabrics are only marginally suitable for the more coventional neckties. The preferred inner lining for conventional neckties as compared to those of permanent knotted ties requires a greater stretchability as indicated by a preferred tensile modulus of less than about 700 p.s.i. in order to accommodate knotting and untieing of the neckties during use of the tie. However, nonwoven fabrics having tensile moduli as high as 900 p.s.i. are more suitable for inner linings of the permanent knotted type where the knot is made but once.

Since many different embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited by the specific illustrations except to the extent defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A necktie of the type having an inner liner, said inner liner consisting of nonwoven synthetic fibers, about 90% to about 95% by weight of said inner liner being polyethylene terephthalate filaments secured in place by a binder of polyethylene terephthalate/isophthalate bonded to said polyethylene terephthalate filaments and composing about 5% to about 10% by weight of said inner liner, said inner liner being a unitary nonwoven structure having a tensile modulus of less than about 900 pounds per square inch, a thickness in the range of 0.025 to 0.100 inch, a density in the range of about 0.07 to 0.13 gram/cm. and a bending length of about 3.7 cm. or less, whereby the necktie exhibits the desired characteristics of stretch, softness, ability to hang flat, resistance to wrinkling, and sufficient body to form a good knot.

2. A necktie as in claim 1 wherein said inner liner has a unit weight in the range of about 2 to about 4 oz./yd.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,285,528 6/1942 Naftali 2-l46 2,611,900 9/1952 Hertz 2146 2,656,543 10/1953 Cohan 2146 2,957,178 10/1960 Forte 2-l46 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A NECKTIE OF THE TYPE HAVING AN INNER LINER, SAID INNER LINER CONSISTING OF NONWOVEN SYNTHETIC FIBERS, ABOUT 90% TO ABOUT 95% BY WEIGHT OF SAID INNER LINER BEING POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE FILAMENTS SECURED IN PLACE BY A BINDER OF POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE/ISOPHTHALATE BONDED TO SAID POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE FILAMENTS AND COMPOSING ABOUT 5% TO ABOUT 10% BY WEIGHT OF SAID INNER LINER, SAID INNER LINER BEING A UNITARY NONWOVEN STRUCTURE HAVING A TENSILE MODULUS OF LESS THAN ABOUT 900 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH, A THICKNESS IN THE RANGE OF 0.025 TO 0.100 INCH, A DENSITY IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 0.07 TO 0.13 GRAM/CM.3, AND A BENDING LENGTH OF ABOUT 3.7 CM. OR LESS, WHEREBY THE NECKTIE EXHIBITS THE DESIRED CHARACTERISTICS OF STRETCH, SOFTNESS, ABILITY TO HANG FLAT, RESISTANCE TO WRINKLING, AND SUFFICIENT BODY TO FORM A GOOD KNOT. 